#bridgertons4

Costumes

Can we talk about Araminta Gun for a second? Not as a villain of a fairytale, but as an actual (horrible) woman living in Regency England who was abused by Richard because the patriarchy allowed him to?

As excited as I am to see Benophie fall in love, I also intrigued by Araminta and Rosamund. I'm glad the show is adding more depth to these characters. This is from the latest interview with Jess Brownell:

I saw some people concerned about a previous Katie Leung's interview in which she says the following:

To me, this is just a standard answer from an actor who's playing the antagonist on a show/movie. She said similar things in the influencers' event on Valentine's Day. It's her job as an actor to dive deep and understand why Araminta does what she does. But it doesn't mean that the writers will give her a redemption arc.

I think people often think of her as a one-dimensional character, just an evil stepmother with nothing beneath her. Of course, she's a horrible woman, she deserves hell for what she did to Sophie and Posy. But just like Cressida, there is more underneath all that hatred. It doesn't justify nor redeems her (just like Cressida stays a bully who got her karma) but it makes us understand why she is the way she is.

Araminta was an ambitious woman who managed to climb from gentry to aristocracy through marriage. All we know about her background is this:

I wonder if Mr. Reiling was the younger son of a lord that gave her access to the ton, but not enough because he was untitled. How did she meet Richard? We don't even know what kind of courtship they had, but I doubt those two could show any true romantic feelings. Both were in desperate situations, so it must have been a cold agreement: the title and status for an heir.

What Richard conveniently omitted in said agreement was that Sophie existed.

Araminta had a right to know about Sophie before agreeing to marry Richard, idc how horrible she was. She deserved to know her husband had an illegitimate daughter, passing as a ward hidden in the country. Would she have married him with this information? Maybe, but we would never know because Richard took that choice from her. He trapped these women in his house and forced them to live with each other, and he wasn't even remorseful.

Richard acted with the assurance that Araminta couldn't do anything against him. Wives were expected to turn a blind eye to their husbands' mistresses and bastards. It didn't matter how much humiliation or hurt they suffered, men could get away with it. HOWEVER, they knew they were doing something wrong.

To the crowd who loves to shout "historical accuracy" every time a male character gets criticized, you know this behavior was morally wrong AT THE TIME. Was it common? Yes. Was it allowed? Yes. Was it encouraged by other men? Yes. Were women advised to ignore it? Yes. But it was still a source of scandal and gossip. Richard knew he was being an asshole, but he just didn't care. The only thing that mattered to him was that Sophie's illegitimacy didn't become public because it would affect HIM.

I would also be furious if my husband lied to me about something as crucial as an illegitimate child and continued with his life as if nothing had happened.

The abuse of power he exerted is maddening. Sophie was right, he didn't know how to love. This was patriarchy in all of its glory, and Araminta was also a victim.

Araminta's huge mistake was directing all her anger and bitterness to Sophie. She couldn't fight Richard or leave him, so she abused Sophie and encouraged Rosamund to hurt her. As with any bully, she looked for a vulnerable person to destroy.

There's something really sad and pathetic about Araminta when she confronts Sophie in jail:

God, this exchange is heartbreaking. Araminta is so full of hatred and ambition that she has no idea what true love is. It reminds me of June and Serena's scene in The Handmaid's Tale (3x06). A similar scene happens in Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas. They all demonstrate their superiority to their abusers simply because they know what real love is. Those scenes are so powerful, and they're more hurtful to the abuser than a slap (although they deserve that too).

Sophie may be transported to Australia, but she's still loved and has loved deeply. Meanwhile, Araminta may be a countess, but her life is a misery. She was so horrible that she lost a daughter. Posy even named her youngest daughter Araminta to transform the name into something beautiful. There's one thing to hate the bastard of your husband, but to hate your own child? And I can't even say she loved Rosamund, cause it seems she saw her as a means to an end, to get more wealth and status.

She can't even pull rank on Violet, the thing that matters to her the most, because everyone hates her!

It's as pathetic as Cressida's situation. Both women were such bitches that no one was on their side when they were in trouble (by their own making).

I really hope Katie gets to explore these facets of the character with Isabella, Michelle, and Yerin.

One more thing, I'm obsessed with her mask! It's so unique and elegant. That's the mask of someone ready to rule the ton. She might be a bitch, but she's a fashionable bitch.

I wrote a bit more on Richard's side in this post.

they absolutely nailed the loving family at a funeral everyone jsut trying to help each other and get through ti but no one can really help vibe and everyones weird now perfectly.

Costumes

Costumes

WDYM Luke says Benedict won't want to go skiing because it's "a lot of work". Yes! Benedict would totally prefer to lie on the beach for a whole day and think of nothing. Plus, Luke knows Benedict would be dramatic af about his New Year's resolution 😂

And Yerin saying Sophie wants a raise 😭Stop! she understands Sophie's humor so well. It's giving "it's funny because it's true" 😭 I can 100% imagine Sophie murmuring this in a sarcastic tone.